I'm No Angel
by glass sugar2.0
Summary: Additional drabble...
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 1_

_And who he would become, all the things he'd have done_

_Would he have loved you and not let you down_

_And would he be stronger than his brother_

_Don't punish yourself, leave it well alone _

_ -Dido_

"Man, am I bored!" said Duo, pilot of the Deathsythe.

"Why don't you watch TV?" asked Quatre, pilot of the Sandrock. The war was over. After visiting their respective colonies, the Gundum pilots decided to stay together, should another crisis pop up, they would be ready. They now lived together in a house on Earth. At the moment, Heero was at the table putting some data from his Gundum, Wing Zero, into his laptop. Wufei, pilot of the Nataku, and Trowa, pilot of the Heavyarms, was also at the table, each reading part of the newspaper. Duo and Quatre were in the living room where Duo was clicking channels furiously. Suddenly he stopped. He had caught a picture of a colony exploding.

"Whoa!" Everyone turned their attention to the TV "...have yet to discover the culprits responsible for the broadcast of the destruction of colony L10 that is still intact.. The attack has, however, put some colonies into a panic. Please stay tuned for further information." Duo started flipping channels. It was the same thing on every news station. The picture began to flicker. Then there was young man on the screen. He wasn't much older then them.

"We, BioGyn, take full responsibility for showing you the destruction of the colony L10. We have done so to show you...traitors will not be tolerated. You have two weeks to surrender the colonies and the Earth to us." With that, he was gone. The networks were in frenzy trying to find out how their feed had been interrupted. Heero was immediately on the phone with Vice Minister Relena Dorlin, a.k.a. Relena Peacecraft, Princess of the Sanq Kingdom and hopefully his future wife. She was currently speaking with representatives of the colonies, trying her best to reassure them that Earth's military did not destroy L10. As Heero was speaking with Relena, the screen on his laptop changed. His email was open and a message was flashing. "The current news is quite shattering. Come to L6 to pick up the pieces", he read aloud.

"We will be landing on L6 in 15 minutes." The voice of the stewardess brought Wufei out of his revere. They had taken the two 'o' clock flight to L6 and within minutes they would find out what was going on. That's what they hoped, anyway. They had gotten seats scattered around the plane. Duo and Heero were in the front. Quatre and Trowa were in the middle.

Wufei was by himself in the back. _'What will we find? What if this is a trap? Who sent us that email. Why would anyone destroy a colony, knowing what bloodshed would follow?' _These were a few of the questions in Wufei's mind. He was also worried about Nataku. Relena was sending a carrier with their Gundums to L6. They would reach the colony the next day.

When they arrived they got through the red tape and the like and were met by a chauffeur.

"Mr. Heero Yuy and company I presume." Heero only nodded. While they were all a little suspicious, they knew they could not afford to be paranoid. All they could be now was cautious. They all piled into a limousine, bringing their bags. Each had brought only one. As they drove down the streets of the colony the driver talked to them. He told them it had been a long time since **they **had had guests. Quatre was polite and spoke for them all. Duo was being uncharacteristically quiet. They soon came to an iron gate. The driver punched in a few codes, had a retinal scan, and was allowed to enter.

A woman met them at the steps of a large building with strawberry blonde hair and dark brown eyes that seemed to look into your soul. She had almost a military air about her and was dressed in a magenta business suit. "Welcome to Delta Vista. This is a private school for gifted young people, like you," she said coolly. " My name is Illyana Roman. I will be your guide for the duration of your stay. She gestured for them to follow her as she began walking up the steps.

She took them to the other wing of the building and she seemed friendlier. "Professor Gunthur will be very pleased with your arrival." She smiled a mysterious smile.

'Strange woman,' thought Wufei. She led them to the main office. As they entered a redhead with smoky violet eyes came out. She nodded a greeting and headed down the hall.

The principal was a nice looking man with dark brown hair that was almost black. He smiled as Illyana introduced them. "Welcome to Delta Vista! On behalf of the school, I welcome you." He stopped. "I just did that... anyway, you've caught us preparing for homecoming. You'll see a lot of Screaming Falcon pride for the next week or so but pay it no mind. You're here for something more important. You are here to help us complete Operation: Firebird."

"Operation: Firebird?" asked Quatre.

"Yes. Operation: Firebird was...is a backup plan for the Shooting Star project." He looked at his watch. It's time for dinner. You are to be seated at the seniors table," he said as he escorted them out to the cafeteria.

There were about 150 students, not including the five seniors sitting at a round table. Professor Gunthur introduced them all to the new kids and the pilots committed them to memory.

The redhead was Angel Dawson. She wore the red, black, and white uniform perfectly. She was perfect except for her unusual hair color amidst the many blondes in the room. Kurt Vaghn had blonde hair, much darker than Quatre's, with one snow-white lock and dark amber eyes. He looked at each one of them briefly, seeming to read them, then turned his attention to the Professor. Elizabeth St. John had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes. Miki Masaki had blue-black hair and blue-black eyes. He was very plain. Even the frames of his glasses were plain. The fifth senior was Anthony Rico. He had dark skin, dark hair, and beautiful green eyes. It was obvious he was the school heartthrob by the looks the other girls in the room were giving him. After ordering them food, Professor left them to their peers.

They listened to Elizabeth talk about the school while they ate. She obviously meant well but she was talking too much and too fast. Even Duo was getting tired of her. An air of relief enveloped them when she excused herself from the table.

"Please forgive Beth. She gets a little carried away sometimes," Angel said . She spoke with a English accent and smiled at them as she looked at them individually. Her gaze lingered on Wufei before she looked at Kurt who was eating his dessert.

"No doubt Professor Gunthur forgot to show you where the seniors' dorms are. We will show you since we'll be going there too." After dinner they immediately left and walked quite a way across the scenic campus before they came to the dorms.

"Man, this is a big school," said Duo as they ascended some steps.

"Yes it is but its size has given us seniors our own wing," answered Miki. When they reached their floor, their bags were waiting.

"Well, Gunthur's not so forgetful after all," Angel said.

They found some extra rooms and were finished unpacking when Angel knocked on their doors. She gave them maps of the school and schedules.

"Your lucky you came here on a Thursday. You'll only have one day of school. Saturdays and Sundays are our days off. Now, if you need anything, Miki and Kurt are right next door and Beth and I are across the hall."

With that she bid them good night and retired to her room. The boys found they had to share a room and Duo bunked with Heero while Trowa bunked with Quatre. Wufei was alone and that was just fine with him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 2_

_My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all_

_The morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all_

_And even if I could it'd all be grey, but your picture on my wall_

_It reminds me that it's not so bad, it's not so bad at all -Dido_

"Good morning students!"

Elizabeth's chipper voice traveled through the school, bringing students from their dreams and for some, nightmares. When Wufei woke up, he found everyone but Duo had gone to the cafeteria for breakfast. The deadly deity was still snoring. When he reached the noisy cafeteria, he was greeted by the smells of eggs, bacon, toast, sausage, and waffles. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until his stomach growled.

'Great. I'm turning into Maxwell.'

After saying his good mornings, he sat down at his place. The table was set just like it was for dinner except, the center piece was a vase of daisies, not roses, and the rectangular tablecloth was white, not scarlet.

"If you looked at your schedules, you'd see you have a free period next so we can give you a tour if you like," said a very bright and fresh looking Angel. She than looked past Wufei and smiled. "Mr. Maxwell, so nice of you to join us. Did you sleep well?" "

Yeah and it's just Duo," he said groggily. Quatre laughed at his friend. Duo was always last up. As soon as he saw the food, he began feeding his face.

Angel chuckled and said, "Americans are so cute!"

Duo stopped eating to smile and wink at the others. Kurt looked ready to kill. At that moment Elizabeth came in holding a flier in her hand she put it in front of Anthony who passed it to Kurt who passed it to Trowa who passed it to Quatre who passed it to Miki who passed it to Heero who passed it to Duo who passed it to Wufei who passed it to Angel who went totally red. "

Why didn't you tell us you were singing at Subzero?" asked Beth.

"Yes, Firefly, we all love to hear that angelic voice of yours," said Anthony. At the mention of the pet name everyone had given her, she grew as red as a tomato. Beth gave her a mischievous smile.

"Of course we are all coming to see you tonight." She looked at the others. You're all welcome to come to Subzero at...OW!"

She looked at Angel who gave her own version of the Death Glare.

Kurt smiled. "I'm sure our new friends would love to hear you play those pretty pipes of yours, Angel."

Beth watched Angel warily as she spoke. "Subzero is the best café/club in the entire colony. Angel, Joey, and I work there part time. Oh, Joey is that junior with the straws up his nose," she said pointing. "I can't wait to hear Angel's angelic..." said Beth before her chair was mysteriously knocked from under her.

Angel shot Kurt and Anthony a look that promised much pain if they said another word then she smiled sweetly at everyone else. Beth glared at her as she got up. Just then, the first period bell rang.

"Shall we be of?" Duo fell in step with Angel as they walked out.

"By the way, that chair thing was smooth." Angel smiled and glanced at a fuming Elizabeth.

"Thanks."

They were given a tour of the school and by the time the second bell rang, the boys knew every nook and cranny in the school. The next class they had was literature and the topic of the day was the Arthurian Legend. After calculus and biology, they had lunch.

"This school is so cool!" That of course was Duo. "There are only five periods instead of eight."

Elizabeth immediately began telling them all there was to do during their free periods. The bell rang and they went their separate ways. At two 'o' clock, school was over and everyone went to their rooms to change.

The G-boys all wore the same things they usually wore except they all wore jeans. Miki wore a pair of jeans and a white shirt. Kurt wore a pair of black jeans and a dark blue button-up shirt. Beth wore a denim skirt and a violet blouse. Anthony wore gray slacks, a white shirt, and a gray sports coat. Angel wore a pair of black stretch-jeans and a gray satin blouse.

They headed for the garage and six of them piled into Miki's silver minivan and four went into Angel's red Blazer. The ride to Subzero would have been fun for those in the van if Beth hadn't prattled on about nothing the entire trip. When they got there, Joey was already waiting tables and Angel and Beth got to work as soon as they arrived. The food and coffee was good and the music was nice. After they had spent about forty minutes there, Beth came running up to their table.

"Angel's about to go on!"


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 3_

As the lights dimmed and the sounds of _Subzero_ patrons ceased, the star of the stage, Angel Dawson, came out. The band members were assembled and they began playing the opening notes. Elizabeth had told the G-boys about Angel's love of the arts and her beautiful voice on the way to the café. Their table was right in front of the stage. When the music had started Angel began to sway her hips slightly to the soft music. Her head was down and she was listening for the specific note that was her cue to start singing. Upon hearing that note, she lifted her head, a sweet smile on her face and began singing.

_You think I'd leave your side baby_

_You know me better than that_

_You think I'd leave you down_

_When you're down on your knees_

_I wouldn't do that_

_I'll tell you you're right when you want_

_And if only you could see into me_

Duo watched and listened caught off guard by the beauty of her voice, her movements, and her smile.

_Oh when you're cold_

_I'll be there_

_Hold you tight to me_

For a brief moment, he was able to tear his eyes from her face to take in the rest of her appearance. She wore black jeans and a gray satin blouse. The colors went perfect with the soft and mellow music. He looked back to her face, her eyes. Those beautiful calm eyes that could look so smoky gray one minute and violet the next. They were a mix of both at the moment.

_When you're on the outside_

_baby and you can't get in_

_I will show you you're so much better than you know_

_When you're lost and you're alone_

_And you can't get back again_

_I will find you darling and_

_I'll bring you home_

Her eyes swept over the crowd as she sang and for a time rested on Kurt before they finally met his. Neither looked away.

_And if you want to cry_

_I am here to dry your eyes_

_And in no time_

_You'll be fine_

Quatre, who was enjoying the performance, had a sudden urge to look around. Kurt, Anthony, Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Miki, Beth, Duo...everyone was watching Angel. He looked again. Especially Duo. He smiled then turned back toward the stage.

_You think I'd leave your side baby_

_You know me better than that_

_You think I'd leave you down_

_When you're down on your knees_

_I wouldn't do that_

_I'll tell you you're right when you want_

_And if only you could see into me_

Kurt sensed movement and out of the corner of his eye, he watched Quatre glance at them all. When Quatre did a double take on Duo, his own eyes landed on the braided pilot. Duo was staring. Duo was staring at Angel. Duo was staring at his Angel. His over protective nature was about to surface but he shook it off. Everyone was starring at her. She was beautiful after all and she did have a lovely voice. Still, he'd keep an eye on the American.

_Oh when you're cold_

_I'll be there_

_Hold you tight to me_

_Oh when you're low I'll be there_

_By your side, baby_

Listening to the lyrics, Duo thought about his past. There had been times when he'd felt lower than a snake's belly. There had been people by his side but they were gone. Gone. He hadn't realized that he and Angel had not broken eye contact until he came out of his reverie.

_Oh when you're cold_

_I'll be there_

_Hold you tight to me_

_Oh when you're low I'll be there_

_By your side, baby_

As the song finished everyone clapped and the performers took their bows and went backstage. When Angel came out, she was wearing a white T-shirt with a smily-face with an eyepatch on and her hair was up in a ponytail. She had also taken the makeup off. Beth dragged her over to the table and began showering her with praises. Everyone did the same in their own way. For a few seconds Duo said nothing. Afterward he broke into a grin and told her she was great. Angel blushed at the attention and thanked everyone. After another round of coffee they left Subzero and headed back to school.

"By Your Side" by Sade.

The smily-face w/ eyepatch is a trademark of PSM (Playstation Magazine)


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 4_

_What I chose to do is of no concern to you and your friends_

_Where I lay my hat may not be my home, but I will last on my own_ _-Dido_

'Sunday-11 days left.'

Heero turned his attention from his computer to the picture next to it. It was a picture of Relena and himself. Quatre had taken it on their vacation. He almost smiled at the thought of that relaxing week in Hawaii. Almost. He turned back to the screen to bypass a few hacker-deterrents and found what he was looking for. The screen showed the names of all the seniors in Delta Vista and its brother school, Beta Vista. At the bottom of the screen, there was the seal of the new UN. He clicked on it.

Duo yawned. This was getting boring. He looked at the others. They all seemed to be listening. 'How do they do it?'

It was bad enough that he had to sit still for two hours but to listen to some old guy talk about the old days of peace.... Just then the old guy stopped talking and a woman with very short brown hair came to the podium. She was much more relaxed as she spoke and she smiled a lot. He wondered why Heero wanted to hear her speak and why he'd forced them all to come. Anthony and Kurt had hockey practice.

'Lucky dogs.'

Angel was "spring cleaning" even though it was the middle of winter. Elizabeth was asleep. About thirty minutes went by before Duo was jolted out of his nap by the sound of bullets. He looked to the stage and saw the woman who had been speaking tackled to the floor in a figure in all black. As they fell, he saw a flutter of red curls sneak from under the black cap the person wore. Upon seeing that the woman was unhurt, the person ran backstage.

In a flash, the G-boys were in pursuit. They followed the sound of footsteps up a flight of stairs and to a door before hearing some muffled screams. To no one's surprise Heero produced a gun from under his school uniform jacket. They waited for silence before they opened the door. They found themselves on the balcony overlooking the auditorium. They also found three men tied up and hanging from a beam. Their weapons were in a neat pile for the authorities. The boys quickly left before guards showed up.

When they got back to school, Heero asked the first student he saw where any of the seniors were. The first person the junior mentioned was Angel and that she was in her room. Without waiting for her to finish, Heero took off for the senior hall.

"What's going on, Yuy?" asked Wufei.

Heero knocked on the girls' door and when no answer came he opened it. They all stuck their heads inside to see Angel dancing around the room with a stereo remote in on hand and a dust rag in the other.

"You make me feel...You make me feel...You make me feel like a natural woman"

Quatre blushed.

Duo covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

Trowa smiled.

Wufei snorted.

Heero did nothing.

Angel could dance and sing, but seeing the usually poised and well-mannered senior sing such an old song...and using a remote as a mike! The only thing missing was her wearing a big shirt and underwear. However, she was wearing a pair of leggings, a black, red and white Screaming Falcon T-shirt, and a pair of big white socks. Her hair was in a messy ballet bun and she had several wisps of red tresses falling around her head.

Her performance was interrupted by laughter, not from any of the boys at the door, but from the two boys behind them. Anthony was doubled over with giggles and Kurt was choking at the sight of the now blushing Angel.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked. She was blushing even more than Quatre. "Long enough!", Duo shouted as his own laughter consumed him. Angel glared at the braided boy as he rolled around on the floor with tears in his eyes. She began to stalk towards them, fire in her eyes and homicide on her mind. They all scrambled to get out of her way as she slammed the door on their faces.

"Man, she was pissed," said a straightfaced Tony.

"Yeah," agreed a smiling Duo. They looked at each other and immediately began laughing. A more sober Kurt looked at Heero. Heero stared back before speaking.

"We need to speak with "Professor Gunthur ," he said.

"Ooookay. I think he's free right now." He turned and began walking to the main office.

"Wasn't that cool the way Angel's eyes went from their original color to purple to red, and then back again?" asked Duo.

"Yes, she's been able to do that since she was a little girl," replied Kurt. "It usually happens when she gets very emotional." He glanced to his left at Heero just as he opened the door. Illyana was just about to exit as they entered. She smiled when she saw them.

"Miss Illyana, they'd like to see the professor if he's free right now."

"Of course. Right this way." She guided them into Gunthur's office. When the door to his office closed, the professor looked up, his face grave.

"No doubt you've heard about the attempted assassination of Senator Annika."

"We were there.." There was silence before Heero spoke again.

"What do you have to do with the UN?" Gunthur looked startled as did the other boys.

'I hate it when he keeps us out of the loop,' thought Duo.

"We work with the International Colony branch of the Preventers, not just the bureau stationed in the Cinq Kingdom on Earth. We have people from several different colonies and countries working here."

"Who are they?"

Gunthur was silent as he walked over to the window near his desk. "If you mean the Preventers I work with, I cannot give that information right now. However, if you mean the gundum pilots that were trained by Miss Illyana and myself..." He turned and smiled at them.

"Gundum pilots?" whispered Quatre. The professor nodded.

"You're not the only ones who were chosen to liberate the colonies from the Alliance. We trained two children, one from this colony and another from L7. We made them Gundums and gave them specific orders. It was after you were sent to Earth that we prepared them to do the same. The Alliance grew suspicious and we had to abort and switch to special covert operations inside enemy lines." Wufei crossed his arms over his chest. "What did they have to be suspicious about?" he asked.

"You," answered the professor. "Your supervisors sent you to Earth ahead of schedule. I don't blame them. Someone had to take action. After the war, they trained to do simple human things, such as socialize, feel emotions, and just be normal kids. I doubt they've lost their killer instincts though."

"They're working with the Preventers." It was a statement, not a question.

"Well. You know everything, don't you?"

"Who are they?" Heero asked again. "

Kurt Warren and An..." Suddenly Gunthur was interrupted by his secretary. "I'm sorry sir but your needed immediately in the conference room."

"Sorry. I'll chat with you later." With that he was gone. They all walked out and went back to the senior's wing.

"What are we going to do, Heero? Kurt's a gundum pilot

"I'm calling Zechs. Give me twenty minutes," Heero said as he shut his door. The others stood there talking before they decided to wander around the school. Maybe they could find Kurt or Illyana and get some more answers.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 5_

_It's all right to make mistakes, you're only human_

_Inside everybody's hiding something_

_Take time to catch your breath and choose your moment -Dido_

TWACK!

The sound of something hitting wood filled the garden. The G-boys minus Heero followed the sound and found Elizabeth and a man they had never seen before watching Angel. She was standing next to a girl who was wearing a gold, blue, and white uniform of a different design than Angel's. They seemed to be having an archery contest. Angel drew her arm back and was about to let the arrow go when Duo sneezed. The arrow met its target but Angel glared at him anyway.

"Hi!" said a cheerful Beth as she trotted over to them.

"What's going on?" asked Wufei.

"Angel is on the archery team. She's practicing. Isn't it cool she can do this in the garden? That girl next to her is Blair Williams. She is St. Matthew's best marksman. They're the ones we're going to beat at the homecoming game."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Duo.

"Duh. We have Kurt and Anthony on the football team! They're the best." They turned to see Angel's arrow split down the middle of the arrow Blair just shot. Blair gave her a mean look before walking over to her bag and leaving.

"What a ham! I can't wait for you to beat her!" said Beth. Angel only smiled.

"Where is Kurt?" asked Quatre.

"Oh, he's around. You might want to check the gym. I'm going there myself." They followed Angel inside and found themselves in the middle of a fight. A large boy lunged at Kurt who quickly got out of the way and kicked the boy from behind. The boy went down and raised a hand. Kurt helped him up. The fight was over. Angel walked over and punched the boy playfully in the arm.

"Really, Torin, picking on my brother like that. You ought to be ashamed of yourself." Torin laughed and wiped his sweaty brow.

"Believe me, Miss Angel, I've learned me lesson." His Irish accent was strong and rich. His brown hair was cut short and his green eyes sparkled mischievously. He reminded Duo of Ewan McGregor. Kurt looked at his watch, excused himself and left in a hurry.

Angel sighed. "Now I've no one to fight."

"Fight?" asked Wufei.

"Yes. Fight. Most students reach the advanced martial arts class by the time they're in the twelfth grade...oh, forgive me, I didn't introduce you. Torin, this is Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Duo. Everyone, this is our friend Torin. He's a senior as well, from our brother school, Beta Vista."

Quatre shook Torin's hand and said "That reminds me, we must meet Heero, nice meeting you, goodbye." With that, the young pilots were gone. Angel smiled and waved. Her eyes grew dark violet as she watched them go.

"Okay Heero, spill." Heero ignored Duo as he put his laptop away.

"Have you seen Kurt?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Did he leave suddenly?"

"Yeah."

"I've just hacked into the Preventer's main station. They probably told him. He probably went to find the culprit."

"So Kurt is a Gundum pilot. Who is the other one? The professor almost said it." Said Quatre.

"I think he was going to say Anthony." replied Wufei.

"Who ever it is, we need to assume they know we know who they are. We must also assume they know we know they know who we are." Trowa said.

Duo stared at him with a blank expression.

Trowa sighed. "We need to be careful. So Heero, what about the Black Fang."

"I've been monitoring reports of ships going near the meteor belt that's not far from here and being attacked." He saw the expressions on their faces. "It's not a gundum. I think it's the Black Fang. If it is, we need to destroy them now before they harm this colony." The others nodded.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm going to the cafeteria." This, of course, came from Duo.

Wufei snorted. "Here we are, about to make a battle plan, and you're thinking with your stomach." Duo waved over his shoulder as he walked away.

'_Those guys are so worried,'_ thought Duo as he sat down with his tray. '_If there are more gundum pilots, so what? The more the merrier. Maybe they can give us a hand with the Black Fang so we can go home. There's a roll of cookie dough in our freezer with my name on it.' _He was about to bite into his burger when Angel sat down in front of him.

"Gawd, Angie, you could give a guy a heart attack," he said. Her eyebrows arched. She obviously wasn't called Angie very often. To make up for his teasing, Duo pretended to have a heart attack. His face fell into his fries and she laughed.

"Oh darn. Kurt's going to be angry. He wanted to kill you himself."

"What?!!!"

"You're alive!"

"What do you mean 'He wanted to kill you himself'? What did I do?" Angel's smiled.

"You made me laugh. Only he does that."

"Oh, well excuse me for havin' a personality." His words seemed to hit home for both of them and there was an awkward pause.

"So what are you doing now?" he asked.

"Sitting here talking to you."

"I mean what sport or whatever do you have, Angie."

She blushed and looked down at her skirt. "That sounds nice, that name: Angie. No one calls me that." She turned back to him. The rest of my day is free." Her gaze moved from him to beyond him. "Kurt!"

"I still think we should have waited for Duo," said Quatre as they walked down the deserted halls of the south wing. It was closed for renovations. Heero ignored Quatre's statement as he moved the flashlight over the doors. Most had nameplates near them. They seemed to be teachers.

"This must be the teachers' quarters," he said. As they tried all of the doors, they found that all were unlocked and the rooms were empty. The last room was the Professor's room. The room held nothing but a table with a vase of velvet roses. Wufei sighed and leaned against the table when he came up empty in his search and Quatre's alarmed voice could be heard from the master bedroom.

"Um, guys, I think you'd better see this." They entered the room to find him standing in front of the open closet. As they drew closer, they saw a flight of stairs leading down.

"Should we go down?" asked Quatre. Heero nodded and the four began descending into the unknown.

Kurt looked from Duo to Angel as he sat down beside her. "What's up?" he asked casually.

"Oh nothing, I just gave Duo a heart attack." She shared a glance with her conspirator before she looked back at Kurt.

"I'm not even going to ask. So, Duo, where are the others.?" Duo gave his usual clueless look and shrugged.

"They're around."

"Uh huh." Kurt didn't seem to believe him. Feeling the tension, Angel spoke up.

"What brings you here Kurt? You don't usually grace the cafeteria staff with your presence until mealtime." Although it sounded conversational to Duo, it plainly meant 'What are you doing here, in my business?' to Kurt. He gave her a questioning look before answering.

"It's Sunday. It's winter. I got cabin fever. Couldn't think of any where to go." He looked at his watch. "Gotta go. Goodbye."

Duo waited for him to be out of earshot before saying "A little overprotective, isn't he?" Angel sighed.

"Aye, but he can't help it. He's like my brother and like any brother, he wants to protect me." She looked sad as she continued. "When my parents died, I had no where to go. All of my father's family were from another colony and most were dead. My mother was from Iceland..," She stopped when she noticed Duo's puzzled look. She smiled. "I know I don't look Icelandic. I got everything but my eyes from my father who was as English as they come. My only living relatives are my mother's nephew and his wife and daughter." She chuckled. "Enough about me, what about you?"

For some reason, Duo didn't feel like he had to lie to her. He told her about his colony and his lack of family. He left out his training and the war of course. By the time they were done talking, lunch and dinner were over and they knew each other's favorite color, food, music, etc. Angel had even confided in him that she didn't like balls which she had been forced to attend over the years by her adopted mother who turned out to be none other than Illyana.

Surprisingly enough, none of the other seniors came to eat although Duo thought he heard Liz with some juniors. He walked with Angel to the seniors' wing, thinking the guys were all in one of their rooms. He thought about going there, but instead he escorted Angel to her door. She smiled, thanked him for being such good company, and apologized for overreacting to his teasing of her "performance" earlier. She then surprised him by giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. He stood there long after she had glided into her room, leaving her hair to lightly caress his face as it sailed by him. He stood there, with his hand on his cheek, and then he went into the room he shared with Heero. Upon finding no one there, he fell onto his bed. He vowed to never wash his face again.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 6_

_All you want, is right here in this room, all you want_

_And all you need, is sitting here with you, all you want -Dido_

Anyone else would have gotten tired. Anyone else would have quit. Heero Yuy was not anyone else. For thirty minutes they traveled down five flights of stairs and six long hallways. The humming sounds of machines could be heard as they continued downward. They finally came to a large red door. In several languages, "DANGER" was written on it. They were about to enter when part of the ceiling slid away to reveal a camera. The door was opened for them.

What they found shocked them all. Standing side by side were two gundums.

"So Ashley said 'Nu-huh' and Brittney said 'Uh-huh' and I said 'I am quit sure'...Angel are you listening?" Angel looked at the mirrored image of her friend behind her. 'Why is she doing this?' she wondered as her roommate continued to brush, comb, and style her long, red hair.

"Yeah Beth, I'm listening"

"Well anyway, what of the American?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on Angel. I saw you two. You were talking non-stop during lunch and dinner."

"He's a nice boy. He's sweet and funny and I was bored. Okay?"

"Okay."

There was an awkward silence before Elizabeth shattered it.

"He's cute isn't he?"

The four pilots stared in awe at the mobile suits. "This one looks like Nataku," Wufei stated. "No, it's more like the Deathsythe," said Quatre.

"It's both actually."

The boys whirled around to find the owner of the voice. It was Illyana. She walked past them and looked up at the red, black, and gold gundum they had been inspecting. "It is the Inferno and its specs match the Deathsythe Hell and Altron. It sports two hyper jammers, one buster shield, two vulcans, one beam Galilee, one flame-thrower and one dragon fang." She assured and irritated Wufei that the dragon fang was of a Norwegian model. She told them the specs of the Thunderbird, the blue, black, and silver one. It was equipped with two beam gatlings, one machine cannon, two vulcans, one beam machine gun, several electric homing missiles and one electric whip.

"Who are the pilots?" asked Heero. Illyana gave him a wry smile.

"I think I'll let you answer that."

"We know Kurt is one. The other one is either Anthony or..."

"Or...?" she prodded.

He looked directly into her eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

"Ask him."

"No."

"Don't be such a-"

"No."

"Fine. I'll do it for you." At this, Angel lost her poise and lunged at Beth.

"All right you little manipulator." Beth smiled.

"I knew you see it my way. Now come on." She grabbed her friends arm and dragged her to Heero and Duo's room. She knocked and pushed Angel to the door just as a very groggy Duo opened the door.

"Yeah?"

"Wouldyouliketogotothedancewithme?"

_**Author's Notes:** Am I bad? Oh yes. in a singsong voice I made two cliffhangers! I made two cliffhangers! Next, on Gundum Wing: No Angel Saga, the next gundum pilot will be revealed and if anyone is at all surprised, I want to know about it. Also..........what is Duo's answer?_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 7_

"...um, could you repeat that?"

"Would you like to go to the dance with me? It's an annual formal social and I usually don't go but... um, would you like to go?" Angel's face was as red as her hair and it wasn't just from embarrassment. She hated being thrown into this, despite Beth's good intentions. She'd lost her ever-present poise and that meant she'd lost control of the situation. Such a thing seemed...unnatural.

"Sure!" His enthusiastic response threw her off and she stood there for about two seconds before smiling.

"Okay. It's tomorrow night at eight. I'll see you then." She gracefully glided to her room to brutishly throttle her best friend.

"...or it's Angel Dawson. Angela Rosalynn Dawson, last living descendent of Victor Dawson, the founder of this colony, former pilot of the Inferno, and current Preventer agent Ember."

Illyana's eyes narrowed as a sly smile appeared on her face.

"J was right. You are good," she said before addressing the other three boys.

"He is correct. Angel is Preventer Ember and my gundum trainee." Quatre's eyes widened.

"That means you're a mad scientist too!" The other boys looked at her warily.

"Yes. I am a scientist. I may be a tiny bit unstable. However, there is no need to fear me. Unlike my charge, I know how to be a neutral civilian once the war has ended. Speaking of Angel, you should probably be going back. She and her partner can be quite suspicious. They know you're gundum pilots but they don't know where you stand." She began to leave the way they came. After looking to Heero who began to follow her, they quickly fell in step.

Monday-7:00 p.m.-Senior wing

Duo nervously straightened his tie for the fifth time before he knocked on Angel and Beth's door. When it opened, he was surprised to see she wasn't alone. Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Kurt, Wufei, Torin and Miki were seated around the room on whatever solid surface they could find. All of the boys were dressed in tuxedos with cumberbuns of their favorite colors. Angel wore a long satin lilac dress that brought out the violet in her eyes. Her hair was pinned up in long curls and fiery tendrils fell around her face.

"Some explaining is in order," said Kurt from Beth's desk chair.

"Quite," as Angel showed Duo a place on her bed to sit. She cleared her throat.

"I am a gundum pilot."

"What!" shouted Duo, nearly knocking Quatre and himself over. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

Heero had been watching Duo curiously before he spoke. "She and Kurt are also Preventers Ember and Breeze. They've been working undercover for most of their lives. That's why we never knew about them. Torin and Miki also work for the Preventers as junior technicians. I did a little hacking and scanned the Preventer database using Zechs' clearance. Speaking of which, I called him. He's on his way."

Duo let this sink in before he looked to Angel.

"So, you're a gundum pilot?"

She nodded.

"You, Kurt, Torin, and Miki are Preventers?"

She nodded again.

"You know about the new threat."

Another nod.

"You gonna try ta stop it?"

"Of course."

"....Can we still go to the dance?"

Monday-8:00 p.m.-DV ballroom

She was a great dancer. Too bad he couldn't dance with her. The second the male student body found out that the elusive Angel Dawson had graced them with her presence, she had been whisked away from his arms. He looked for his friends. Heero was dancing with Relena of all people. It turned out she and the others had bullied Zechs into taking them with him. Heero was surprised at first but Duo was sure he saw the Perfect Soldier smile at the golden tressed princess more than once. Catherine, clad in a narrow pink dress, had pulled the blushing Quatre onto the dance floor. Trowa and Hilde, in her dark scarlet dress, were browsing the food table. Golden silk covered Sally who was teasing an immobile Wufei. Anthony was dancing with Beth who was having trouble with the train of her very formal black dress. Dorothy, wearing an emerald gown, had cornered Miki and was talking to him near the punch bowl. Kurt was nowhere to be seen. Finally, Heero and Relena had escaped from her brother's watchful eyes. They were on one of the balconies, talking softly.

He sighed. "Man. Who'd have thought a party could suck and blow?"

"Is it that bad?" He turned to see Angel smiling warmly at him.

"Angie! How'd you get away from those other guys?"

"I found Kurt and he promised to stick close and give anyone who approached us a death-glare."

"Oh."

"So...do you want to dance?"

"I guess, this bein' a dance and me bein' your date..." He gave her a goofy smile and she chuckled.

"It's nice to hear a laugh," he said. "Especially from people..." He stopped suddenly.

"From people like us?" she finished. He nodded as they made their way to the floor.

The music began immediately and he smiled faintly as he grasped her hand and placed his other at her waist.

_It's amazing how you knock me off my feet_

_Every time you come around me I get weak_

_Nobody ever made me feel this way_

_You kiss my lips and then you take my breath away_

_So..._

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Duo."

"It's okay. Comes with the territory. 'Sides, I'd lie to keep that little number you've got downstairs."

_I wanna know,_

_I wanna know what turns you on..._

_I'd like to know,_

_So I can be all that and more..._

_I'd like to know,_

_I'd like to know what makes you cry..._

_So..._

_So I can be the one who always makes you smile..._

"So Angie, you and Kurt, are you..."

"Yes?"

"Are you guys um...together?"

_Girl he never understood what you were worth (no)_

_And he never took the time to make it work (you deserve more love than_

_that girl)_

_Baby I'm the kind of man who shows concern (yes I do)_

_Any way that I can please you let me learn_

_So..._

"Kurt and I? We are...like siblings. He's always been there for me...when we weren't trying to kill each other."

"What?!"

"Oh yeah. He and I were always at it. Blowing up pieces of each other's gundums, shooting up each other's rooms, poisoning food..."

"But...why?"

"Competition. We were trying to show Illyana and Gunthur who was the best. But once we had our first mission together, that all changed. I found that I needed him and he found he could trust me."

_I wanna know,_

_I wanna know what turns you on..._

_I'd like to know,_

_So I can be all that and more..._

_I'd like to know,_

_I'd like to know what makes you cry..._

_So..._

_So I can be the one who always makes you smile..._

"Duo?" Angel said, tentatively laying her head onto his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I'm fond of you."

He smiled. "I like you too."

"No, Duo. I'm very fond of you. That's unusual for me since I just met you."

Neither spoke for a while.

_Tell me what I gotta do to please you_

_Baby anything you say I'll do (I'll do)_

_'Cause I only wanna make you happy (happy)_

_From the bottom of my heart it's true (it's true)_

"Do you believe in fate, Angie?" Duo said, his words muffled by her hair.

"I don't know."

They continued to slowly dance in silence.

_Tell me what I gotta do to please you_

_Baby anything you say I'll do (I'll do)_

_'Cause I only wanna make you happy (happy)_

_From the bottom of my heart it's true (it's true)_

_I wish that I could take a journey through your mind (all right)_

_And find emotions that you always try to hide babe_

_I do believe that there's love you wanna share_

_I'll take good care of you, lady, have no fear_

_So I wanna know..._

_I wanna know,_

_I wanna know what turns you on..._

_I'd like to know,_

_So I can be all that and more..._

_I'd like to know,_

_I'd like to know what makes you cry..._

_So..._

_So I can be the one who always makes you smile..._

**Author's notes:** Finally, the cat's out of the bag. Lips are unsealed. The truth is out there....let me shut up now. Read and Review please!

This fic features the song "I Wanna Know" by Joe.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 8_

10:00 p.m.-DV ballroom

As the waltz ended and KMFDM's "Ultra" began to play and Duo and Angel began to part, someone screamed. The sound of glass breaking and more screams filled the room. About two dozen people all in black dropped down from ropes onto the ledges outside of the ceiling to floor windows. More screaming erupted as they revealed their weapons, cocked them, and pointed them toward the students who now were cowering at a wall. Angel looked at Duo who nodded and the two of them began to back away into the shadows. Instead of hitting the wall, Angel bumped into Heero and Relena. Kurt was soon at their side and in a few seconds, so was Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre.

Angel, Kurt, and Heero surprised everyone by bringing out concealed weapons. The two boys pulled out handguns from their tuxedo jackets while Angel produced her own from beneath her gown. When she saw Duo's raised eyebrow, she shrugged and said "Just expecting the unexpected." She then began to search for the adults. She caught Zechs and Gunthur's eyes and signed to them that they would take care of things. She and the others turned their attention to their attackers.

The only person speaking was a young man a little older then them. They recognized him as BioGyn's representative from the TV broadcasting of L10 blowing up. He called himself Drake. He wore all black like the others but he stood out because of his bright yellow hair. He was asking politely for gundum pilots.

"... know several are present as an employee of mine has informed me of a Preventer shuttle arriving here this afternoon." Zechs was probably thinking of wringing the BioGyn informant.

"He'll probably have the doors locked by now and begin to search every face at a time," whispered Heero. Sure enough, four of their enemies stood at the door. They turned again to Drake

He had stopped talking and was scanning the crowd. Angel watched him and listened to the music at the same time, getting into her zone. His black found there way to her smoky violet ones and stayed there. Staring back, she found certain clarity to the lyrics.

_When you peel back my eyes  
I see the pain and feel alive  
My hatred heaps upon this fire  
That burns inside and you blow higher  
But I don't need you anymore  
You cannot hurt me anymore  
Keep it away from the fire unless you want it to burn  
It burns - Wildfire_

His eyes lingered some more, then continued on, not seeing all of the shadowed pilots. Obviously frustrated but still poised, Drake and his people began to leave the same way they came. No one tried to stop them and when the last terrorist was gone, most of the girls melted into sobbing heaps in their pale dates' arms. The G-crew quickly assembled and once everyone was verified as healthy, they left Gunthur and the girls to deal with the nervous students. Illyana led the G-boys, Kurt, Angel, and Zechs unnoticed into the hallway where they made their way among the hysterical and hurling people to the closed south wing. Going into the old room, and down the stairs, they found themselves faced with an irate Torin.

"He's one of you too?!" asked Wufei. He was getting tired with the additional players in this game.

"Aye," answered Torin, "and I wish I wasn't now. Those guys bypassed all of our security features. All Miki's hard work...."

"Miki too?!" said a shocked Duo.

"Aye." Torin turned to Zechs and Illyana and saluted. "Sir, ma'am, our technical report." He handed each a disk. "I've been trying to deal with a little present those guys left in the system."

"They must have a bloody good hacker on their side to put a dent in our system," murmured Angel.

"Torin, thanks, but I think you should all go to bed," said Illyana.

"Uh-oh," whispered Torin to Kurt and Angel. "She's goin' into 'Mother' mode." He turned to the others. "We'd better do what she says before she gives a lecture on a well rested mind or hurts someone."

Quatre stifled a yawn and smiled sheepishly.

"I suppose we can't do much now since all they left was a virus. We can start in the morning."

They all agreed and were in their rooms in fifteen minutes. Before he went to bed, Duo went to knock on Angel and Beth's door. Before he did, he noticed the terrace down the hall was open. He quietly walked to it and when he stepped out, he was looking down the barrel of a gun.

"Um...."

"Sorry," said Angel. "I'm tired and..." She stopped talking and just stared at him. He looked down at himself. He was wearing his usual black pajamas with the shirt open. He looked back up at Angel's blushing face.

"You don't look too bad yourself," he said, gesturing to her ice blue nightgown and open dark blue satin robe. She got redder and began to laugh.

"Thanks. I need that."

"No prob. Nervous? "

"No. Just anticipating."

They stood in companionable silence and heard the sounds of traffic in the distance. To their surprise, "Ultra" began to play from some far off place in the colony. As it drifted to them, Duo stole a glance at the red head. When she looked to him, neither turned away. Instead, shyly, both drew closer to the other. The heat began to rise for them both as their breaths mingled. She stared into the violet depths of his eyes as he inclined his head. Their eyes closed as their lips met, softly at first, then firmer. Smiling against her, he dragged his tongue across her lips, asking for entrance. She granted it and the kiss deepened. When they drew apart for air, he looked down at her face, cupping it in his hands.

"Perfect," he whispered.

_Set on fire  
You caught on fire  
And when you take me in your mind  
Into this dirty sodden shrine  
I do not need you anymore  
You cannot hurt me anymore_

_**Author's Notes:** Was that pointless or impatient of me to get to one of the points of this story? What did you think? Please review!!!!!_

_"Ultra" by KMFDM _


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 9_

_I just want to feel safe in my own skin, I just want to be happy again._

_I just want to feel deep in my own world._

_But I'm so lonely I don't want to be with myself anymore... - Dido_

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. When the girl of your dreams shoves you to the floor after sharing a kiss, stare open-mouthed at her. At least, that's what Duo did.

"What the hell?"

"I've done everything," she said, silencing his retort with the quietness of her voice and the trembling of her balled up fists.

"I've tried every sport, joined every club, attended every class, and made a diverse collection of friends. I've forgotten nearly every conversation, destroyed every former record, and nearly repressed every plea or scream..." Her voice trailed off but when she collected herself, her eyes bore an intensity that frightened him.

"I've done everything to gain some sense of normalcy and have had a healthy balance of covert and unguarded activity. And I'll be damned if I let you muck it all up." Abruptly, she turned on her heel and started for the door.

"Angie...."

She stopped and said over her shoulder, "My name is Angela Dawson. We do this thing and it's over. I graduate and get on with my bloody life...or at least what's left with it."

"What are we looking at, Torin?"

"Well, the virus was a tricky bugger, but in the end, me and Miki-"

"Miki and I," Illyana corrected.

"-were able to flush it out of the system," he finished, ignoring Illyana.

"I think the thing to do would be to track them and find out where they are before they attack another colony, looking for us," said Quatre.

Everyone agreed and as they seated themselves at the long rectangular table somewhere beneath the school, Duo glanced furtively at Angel, hoping she'd at least look at him. She didn't.

Although everyone's attention was directed to Illyana and Gunthur, Angel's aloofness did not go unnoticed by the perfect soldier or her former partner. Kurt's initial response was to glare at the braided American, assuming he had upset her. He calmed down, however, when he realized she was ignoring him. _'Good.'_

When Zechs was able to join them, topic tuned to strategy and he and his former foes were soon in conversation. When they had decided that they would take the gundums to find BioGyn's base of operations to shut it down (with minimal casualties). Angel and Kurt did not speak though Heero and Trowa both noticed the glances they sent each other. _'Perhaps they can communicate without words,'_ Trowa thought. It was plausible since he and Quatre sometimes did it. If best friends could converse silently then certainly people who had grown up and trained together could too.

When the plan was set, all that was left to do was to prep the equipment...and say goodbye.

"I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"Because. You're Angel. Not a...a...murderer."

"Is that what you think I am?"

"No because I don't believe you."

Angel sighed. She knew this would be hard and she felt a little guilty. Elisabeth was so trusting and kind...but that was why she chose her when she first came here. Beth was one of the most liked people at the school, which made a reflection on Angel and had kept any possible suspicion away. Beth had been the perfect front. And the perfect friend. Which was why it was so hard to tell her that her best friend of four years was a liar and a killer.

"Beth, I'm telling the truth. Kurt and I came here as students but that was all a cover. We were supposed to establish a presence and work from here. That's why we were absent all of those times and why we could never get together at night, on weekends, during the summer; it was all a lie."

By now Elisabeth was shaking her head and looking out at the rest of the quad. It was empty and the only sound besides them was the fountain in the center. She tried to concentrate on that but the things Angel said...they just made sense.

"You were so nice to me." It was a statement but it held a question. If this was all true, did Angel pretend to befriend her to get something from her?

"I genuinely liked you, Beth. I came here to infiltrate the nearby Oz facilities. I lied, charmed, and busted my way into that organization. For a long time I had problems with leaving my identities behind and forgetting...the things...what I had done...but this was real. Our friendship was real."

Beth nodded compliantly. Suddenly a thought came to her and before she could stop herself she blurted out: "Would you have killed me?"

_'Now is not the time to lie,'_ Angel thought.

"Yes."

"Why?" Elisabeth was close to tears. Her best friend's betrayal she could forgive but her unhesitating admittance to hypothetical murder was too much.

"If it was my mission, I would carry it out. It's what I do."

"Do? You still kill people?"

"I'm a Preventer now."

"Do you kill people."

"Yes, if I'm ordered to." She didn't even flinched.

"How could you? How could you fight and take another person's life just because you're told to? How could you-"

"Because I have to!" she shouted, abruptly standing. She hadn't meant to raise her voice but the questions Beth asked were the same she would ask herself before and after she'd bloody her hands with one life after another.

"I have fought to gain peace. And I'll kill anyone who threatens that peace. So many people have died Beth. So many far better then me." She sounded so defeated that Elisabeth's anger began to subside and pity took it's place. She didn't want to kill. So why did she?

"It's all I have, Beth," she answered, as if she had read her mind.

"What do you mean? You have this colony that your father helped create. You have a cousin on your mother's side who sought you out after the war. You have a foster mother who-"

"Who trained me to be a killer."

Elisabeth couldn't help but gasp. Illyana was her favorite staff member and someone she had always looked up to. Yet if she had drawn Angel into this...

"What?"

"I don't blame her. When my mother died, my father had nothing left to live for. Not even me. Illyana was their friend and a constant presence in my life. When she took me in, I learned that she lived through espionage. She had intended to give that all up when she got me and have me enrolled here. She saw that I was...gifted. She tried to hide me from an organization she was affiliated with that was searching for a certain kind of talent. But once they realized my potential, somehow I fell out of her hands and into theirs.

"It was nothing but tests at first, then exercises to test me physically. When they were satisfied, I met my future partner. Kurt was an orphan as well, half colony and half earth like me, and completely wild. They decided that together we could do covert operations. Just like the other gundum pilots we were to destroy Oz. Only we did it from the inside with my ingenuity and his...belligerence. We gathered the information that made Operation Meteor possible. Then we got rid of everything. Records, aliases, supplies, witnesses...they all had to go."

Taking a deep breath, she waited for Beth to speak.

"So you stole information and killed people. I got that. So now what? You go after those people who showed up at the dance? Kill them and come back?"

"We're trying to keep the casualties low, Elisabeth. We don't enjoy killing."

Elisabeth was about to say something but the look in Angel's eye and the way she had said her name brooked no argument.

Nodding once more, she stood and walked over to her best friend. Then she hugged her. Angel had stiffened at first but eventually relaxed into her embrace and even returned it.

"Come back to us, Red."

The two young women looked up in surprise at the source of the voice. Anthony stood near the archway that led into the school. Kurt was not far behind.

Angel gave him a small smile before her gaze fell on Kurt. His appeared okay. Of course, Anthony was There had probably been no problem with convincing him.

Once Angel and Elisabeth reached him, he brought her close to his body and kissed her forehead. It was an unusual demonstration of affection but Angel didn't mind. She didn't know, however, that their exchange had been watched from above...


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 10_

_If you were a king up there on your throne, would you be wise enough to let me go_

_For this queen you think you own_

_Wants to be a hunter again, wants to see the world alone again_

_To take a chance on life again, so let me go- Dido_

It came out of no where. It sliced through the sky above Angel's head, casting a brief shadow over her upturned face. She loved birds. The gyrfalcon was her favorite. The Red Bird of Paradise had been her mother's favorite.

_Look Kat, look at the pretty birds. They're the birds of Paradise._

Snapping out of her reverie, Angel continued across the Delta Vista campus, unnoticed and alone. Many of the students were enjoying the prime colony spring on the quad or in the city since it had been only a half day. For a moment, she allowed herself to envy them, happy little Neo-Icelandic teens going to movies, skateboarding, gabbing on the phone, struggling with homework, fighting with best friends...

She smiled wryly. She had had lots of that in her life. Be they piloting mobile suits or posing as Oz soldiers, she and Kurt were always at each other's throats. When they were in constant competition. On the job, a silent battle of wills often occurred when they discussed who would take the most dangerous mission. Despite his belligerent nature, Kurt was always trying to protect her, as any surrogate brother would. Even now...

Upon reaching the inside of the long neglected south wing, Angel stopped thinking. She walked to the entrance of the Gunthur's underground base of operations. Her breathing slowed. She closed her eyes, then opened them. And everything clicked.

When Angel walked into the war room, Duo could tell that something was different. There was a hardness to her gaze that would make any other guy flinch or look away. But he was no other guy. And he wasn't about to let her just forget about him and their kiss.

A conflict on Earth had forced Relena to return to her duties. The others had gone with her, knowing that their friends needed no distractions. Now all that was left was to prepare the gundums. Wing Zero was ready. The Inferno needed some work as a previous scuffle had resulted in some exposed wires on the left leg and arm.

Angel worked on Inferno after changing from her uniform to black boots, black pants, and a green tank top covered by a worn black dress shirt. With Miki's help, Inferno's arm had been patched up quickly. It turned out that the Japanese boy was not only a book worm, but a gifted mechanic as well. He chatted animatedly with Angel while they worked on the damaged appendage, suspended by strong cables attached to a ramp several feet above the gundums' heads.

Hanging upside down and tending to Inferno's leg, which wasn't as bad as the arm, Angel pretended not to notice Duo walking beneath her. She silently prayed that he would continue walking but when he stopped directly under her, she sighed and released the device keeping her stationary on the line. She plummeted until she was nearly face to face with him, stopping herself by resetting the latch of the device attached to her waist. She was a little disappointed that Duo hadn't batted an eye at her abrupt action and a little flustered when she felt his warm breath upon her skin. She quickly masked it with anger.

"What?" she snapped.

"What's wrong with you?" he queried, quickly running his eyes over her face. She was pissed and upside down and, God, but she was beautiful. Her vibrant red hair, flushed face, full frowning lips, and vivid greed eyes were a distraction unto themselves...wait, green eyes?

"Your eyes are green," he said dumbly.

"Well, I don't like flying with contacts on," she answered huffily, angry that his distractedness had distracted her from being angry.

"But-contacts?"

"I came to this school undercover during the war. It would be stupid of me to show up with violet eyes for two years and then green eyes the next day. I don't like my identity questioned."

_Which is what I've been doing this whole time._

When he only stared at her eyes, she growled lowly. Her eyebrows drooped sharply and her voice became thick with exasperation.

"Look Duo, not that I haven't enjoyed our little chat, but I'm about 10 minutes away from finishing Inferno here, saddling up and blowing the shit out of that Drake wanker. So yeah, with all my Anglo-Saxon blood, my bloody eyes are green, okay? So-"

She was forced to swallow the end of her tirade when Duo suddenly grasped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth across hers, catching the upside down Angel quite by surprise.

Her lips, which had been in an 'o' of surprise, were quickly plundered by Duo's amorous tongue which mad a thorough sweep of her moth before he reluctantly dragged his lips away from hers.

"You're beautiful when you're angry," he murmured huskily. "So don't bother trying to be mad at me. It'll only encourage me."

With that, he gave her a roguish smile and left her to her work.

"-so...sod off," she whispered, scarlet to the roots of the hair.

Nonplused, Angel slowly reversed her cable device which pulled her up. When she reached her previous location, she held up her torch to finish the job but only hovered there, starring at the gleaming metal but not seeing it. Tentatively, her hand moved to her lips where she slowly traced the skin Duo had branded with his kiss.

Suddenly, Inferno's CD player began to shuffle the CDs within it. When Blue Oyster Cult's "Burnin' For You" began to play, she let out a noise that was between a groan and a whimper. She turned herself right side up in her harness and turned to see Miki on the catwalk across from her mech. He was smiling slyly and looking very pleased.

"First you explain yourself to Elizabeth and then you smooch a la Spiderman with Mr. Maxwell."

Angel blanched. He had seen her exchange with Beth?

"My baby's growing up!" he sobbed.

"One word of this, Miki..."

"I know, I know. You'll grind up my bones to make your bread," he said solemnly.

Angel just glowered at him, suspicion evident in her gaze.

"But seriously," he said, "You've got to pick your launching music. The new sound system I installed is the best yet."

On the other side of the Delta Vista campus, far away from Angel and Miki, Kurt's thoughts were not unlike Angel's had been as he watched Anthony Rico and his friends hanging out on the stone steps of the senior dorm. Not long ago, Kurt had envied Anthony. Anthony was cool, confident, and charming. He was someone you could have fun with. Someone you could be friends with. Someone you could trust. Like Angel. He sighed and turned away from his friend.

Thinking of Angel made him think of Duo and the mission. He didn't really dislike the American. It was just that he didn't want Angel to get hurt. He knew she could take care of herself physically (he bore a few scars as evidence). But of the two of them, Angel was always the most normal. The most human. And humans were prone to distraction.

She could not be distracted.

She was an excellent spy and when she had a gun...she could be scary. He loved that about her. While he overtly dangerous, Angel was a hidden threat. Her soft eyes, easy smile, and slight frame had gotten the best of their enemies in the past. But after two years of peace and mild activity with the Preventers, she was bound to be a little off her game pilot-wise. So he'd just have to keep her on her toes.

"So you all know the mission," said Illyana.

"Sure thing," Kurt deadpanned, "We blow shit up."

"Before curfew," Torin chimed from his seat at the control console.

The pilots were in their gundums while their fellow Preventers were in a room above from the hangar. Gunthur anxiously scanned each mobile suit through the large window in front of the console before he put on a pair of ear phones and sat down next to Torin who opened the doors of the hangar, causing the ceiling to divide. As the machines that operated the door whirled, the football field above them became visible.

As Gunthur began the countdown, not noticing Miki watching him out of the corner of his eye.

"In T-minus 10...9...8...7..."

At six, Zechs ordered the colony itself to prepare for the gundums' take off.

"...3...2...1..."

_Dead blow with the life from the low_

Out of no where, a deafening audio melee assaulted Gunthur's ears and his ear phones were thrown from his head as he fell out of his chair . Miki and Torin fought to contain their laughter but they lost the battle. As the mechs took off, laughter as well as Queens of the Stone Age could be heard via the radio from Inferno's cockpit.

_I'll be massive conquistador  
Give me sword, show me the door  
Metal heavy, shocked at the core  
Gimme toro, gimme some more_

_Pressurize, neutralize  
Deep fried, gimme some more_

"Really Angel, that was terribly naughty of you," Torin said as he fought down giggles.

"You know me," came the smug reply.

_Space flunky, four on the floor  
Fortified with the liquor store  
This one's down, gimme some more  
Gimme toro, gimme some more_

Illyana took Gunthur's place, gingerly stepping over him, amusement dancing in her eyes. When Gunthur composed himself, he glared at her.

"I wonder where she got that from," he said, his Norwegian accent thick with his anger. She simply shrugged.

Once they were out of the colony's air space, Angel changed the track from "Millionaire" to "Go With the Flow".

_She said "I'll throw myself away,  
They're just photos after all"  
I can't make you hang around.  
I can't wash you off my skin.  
Outside the frame, is what we're leaving out  
You won't remember anyway_

"That was really wrong of you, Angie," Duo mock-scolded. Despite her ire toward him, Angel could not help but giggle some more.  
" But it was the perfect opportunity. How could I not take it?" she said.

_I can go with the flow  
But don't say it doesn't matter anymore  
I can go with the flow  
Do you believe it in your head?_

"That was a good one, Red," Kurt said. But then he was all business. "So where are we going?"

Heero keyed in their destination and sent it to each of the pilots. "L6 cameras caught Drake and his men coming and going. Although they temporarily fried each colony's systems that they visited, Torin was able to access the auxiliary security systems after he got the virus out of Delta Vista's computers. They were heading toward Mercury."

"Mercury? But there's nothing there," said Kurt.

"There's a BioGyn facility there," said Quatre as he sent them all satellite photos. "Preventer satellites from Mars have shown a structure attached to the station between Earth and Mercury. The station is about the size of a colony and scheduled for destruction in two months. Since no one's there, it would be a perfect place for them to run their operations."

_It's so safe to play along  
Little soldiers in a row  
Falling in and out of love  
With something sweet to throw away.  
But I want something good to die for  
To make it beautiful to live.  
I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate.  
Do you believe it in your head? _

"So we check out this station and flush 'em out if they're there?" asked Angel.

"Yes. And we also have to do a thorough check of all of their weapons and data. BioGyn's been known for its weapon's manufacturing as well as its genetic research. They wouldn't have started this unless they had something."

_I can go with the flow  
But don't say it doesn't matter anymore  
I can go with the flow  
Do you believe it in your head?_

When they came upon the station, they found their intel to be correct. Not letting the element of surprise escape them, they burst into the station, immediately causing chaos as the BioGyn employees scattered. To Heero's chagrin, there were no mobile suits to fight with. However, there were plenty of armed men to evade and dispatch as the gundum pilots made their way through the cannon fodder and advanced to the heart of the station's central building.

What they found stopped them in their tracks quite effectively.

Behold! The Cliffhanger!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...inhale HA!

Seriously, you have no idea how hard it was to stop here. I was going to go on but then I typed that last sentence and I thought, _That sounds like a good end to the chapter_. So that's the end. But the story will go on! I promise you, one more chapter, and I can consider this baby finished!

Once more, dear friends, into the breach!

"Go With the Flow" and "Millionaire" by Queens of the Stone Age


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 11_

_Touch my skin and tell me what you're thinking,_

_Take my hand and show me where we're going_

_Lie down next to me, look into my eyes and tell me,_

_Oh tell me what you're seeing- Dido_

There wasn't anything any of them could say. Their blood ran a little bit colder. Duo blinked several times. But the shock remained.

"Are those...people?"

Quatre's question went unanswered until Heero, perhaps spurred by instinct, began to work on the door behind them. It slid closed with a nearly inaudible hiss and beeped once when the locks were secured. They couldn't afford to be interrupted.

"They're people," he said. "Though not in the sense we're familiar with."

Angel drew closer to the cylinders that were bolted to the ceiling and the floor. The teal liquid and the lights within them cast an eerie glow upon her figure that made her seem almost ethereal.

"How can this be?" she whispered.

"They seem to be some kind of stasis," answered Trowa as he walked around the glass tubes. "Though I can't see how they're able to breathe."

For a few seconds they simply stared. Perhaps it was the blue-green iridescence that transfixed them or the wraithlike figures within the tubes. They had found the secret they had been searching for but their findings seemed...so wrong.

"What are they for?" Kurt wondered aloud.

"Your destruction, young man."

The response came from their right where an old man stood, leaning casually on a cane. He appeared to be in his seventies and was wearing the usual for a scientist: khaki pants, white shirt, and white lab coat. He seemed not at all affected by the seven guns trained on him. He even smiled at them before he continued.

"They are for the destruction of all obstacles to our agenda."

He looked past the wary pilots to the immersed figures. His expression was...tender, in an odd way.

"They are my masterpieces, my last tour de force for this world," he said before shifting his gaze back to the interlopers.

"Killing me won't stop their progress. You've already become obsolete," he said with a chuckle.

Angel raised an eyebrow at this and slowly began to walk away from the glass containers.

_This guy's more cracked than the five scientists combined._

Out loud she said, "Sorry, but could you be a little less vague?"

The old man looked at her directly, perhaps seeing for the first time that there was a female among the famed gundum pilots, then nodded.

"Certainly, my dear. After all, none of you are leaving this station."

He began to walk toward Angel and Trowa who were closest to the cylinders, limping slightly. Once he had moved, they could see how he had entered the sealed room. A metal panel in the wall had apparently been converted into a door. It was hard to see and a tight fit but perfect for an emergency escape.

Ignoring the armed pilots, he put his hand against the glass of one of the tubes.

"These creatures are my children. I made them from raw genetic material I had collected throughout the war."

He chuckled darkly and glanced at their reflections.

"Thanks to lethal little scamps like you, I had plenty of material to sample. Only the best fighters would do so I selected the last men standing, as it were, in your battles. Thought I must say, some of you left me with some pretty piffling remains from time to time."

At his words Angel grew very pale and Quatre's brow was deeply furrowed.

"Do you mean to tell us that you cloned our dead foes for some army of your own?" Wufei asked, his narrowed eyes the only evidence of his displeasure.

"Cloned? No, not really. Mixed is more like it. I did some splicing here and there and blended the desired genetic materials until I achieved a being of super human endurance and speed. You wondered at their breathing earlier. They don't breathe. At least not the way you and I do. Their respiratory system is completely internal and independent of any external substances. They could go out into space without any cumbersome equipment and do their duties in half the time of a normal human."

He turned his attention away from his handiwork and faced the young soldiers who had lowered their weapons after he began to speak.

"Then there was the programming. Although I do admire the work done on you kids, I require absolute loyalty and zero independence. My first success lacked those qualities but avoided destruction by providing other uses...," he said, inclining his head toward the location he had occupied.

The flaxen haired and black clad Drake stood there- with a gun. He was immediately in the pilots' sights.

The old scientist laughed sharply and Duo winced. He preferred the old man's chuckles.

"You see, children, Drake's a lot like you. He's got no past. Destruction is his only calling. Death's will be the only embrace he will ever experience. And the only thing keeping him from destroying us all is the temporary fail safe I implemented. It keeps him from turning on me and keeps you all alive until I have no need of you. Alive that is."

He nodded to Drake who wordlessly raised his weapon. Guns fired. And bullets found their mark.

"I wonder what they're doing right now."

"She's probably wishing that she was here with us."

"Beth?"

"My birthday is in two weeks. Angel didn't ask me what I wanted like she always does."

"Maybe she forgot to ask, Beth."

"Or maybe she knew she wouldn't have to bother."

Silence reigned over the steps of the Delta Vista senior dormitories.

"She'll be here for your birthday, Bethie," Anthony said as he placed a reassuring hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "Won't she, Illyana?"

When he didn't get an answer, he looked up to the silent woman sitting two steps above them.

"Illyana?"

_Shit._

It was the only thought Duo could get out before he and the others fired again at Drake. Drake, who was still standing there, right arm raised as bullets ripped through his flesh.

The old man behind them was cackling with amusement. His laughter couldn't compete with the resonance of the firing guns but it sent chills down Duo's spine none the less.

"The pain doesn't register, " the scientist wheezed after he stopped laughing. " He's numb to it and any other weak reaction as long as I will it. It's part of the fail safe."

Suddenly the humanoid's dark eyes narrowed. His mouth curved into a wicked grin before he spoke.

"Which has been dealt with ."

Time stopped when Drake's first bullet was released. Faster than human eyes could follow, it tore through the air and into the yielding body of the considerably mad scientist.

He stumbled backward from the impact, grasped his wounded chest and released his cane. His wide eyes wee stricken with shock and incomprehension. Slowly he turned toward the glowing cylinders, as if their contents could save him. He sank to his knees, gasping for breath as the blood and bile began to rise. From his reflection in the glass, he saw his traitorous creation approach him from behind.

"Damn you," he rasped before Drake's second bullet found its mark.

Looking down at his dead maker, a look of satisfaction settled onto the humanoid's face.

"Looks like the good doctor is out."

It was Trowa who broke the shocked silence.

"How?"

"What can I say other than...I got by with a little help from my friends," Drake answered, a smug grin in place as the main door of the laboratory began to beep, signaling its unlocking. A green light appeared on its control pad and the doors opened.

Kurt's eyes narrowed dangerously and he gripped his gun tighter as Angel inhaled sharply, inwardly cursing herself for the show of emotion as well as her own stupidity.

"You know, sir, it's been two years since those two joined the Preventers."

"I know. They've done some fine work, especially during that hostage situation last summer. And that raid on that weapons plant."

"That was mostly Miki. He intercepted that transmissions and sent another in its place. Then they went to L9 and capitalized on the bad guys' confusion."

For a while, neither Zechs nor Gunthur spoke.

"You taught them well."

"Thank you, sir."

"And I'm sure you'll breathe easier when their contract is up."

"I...I'm sure they'll prefer to stay on for a few more years, sir."

"We'll see."

"Miki?"

The young genius entered the room, closed the door, and locked it again. He was wearing a flight suit like the others wore and was missing his glasses. He smiled almost sheepishly at Angel who continued to stare at him.

Intrigued, Drake leaned against one of the glass containers and watched the expressions sweep over Angel's pretty face. Disbelief, comprehension, and anger passed over her face within seconds. It surprised the humanoid that hurt was not featured in her sparkling emerald eyes. Wait...her eyes.

"Masaki, is this not the red haired beauty I saw at your school's social?"

"It is."

_Hmm._

He smiled knowingly at Angel.

"Your eyes are a different color then but they still...smolder."

With his superior sight, he registered a slight lift in Angel's chin. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the braided pilot tense. Inwardly he smiled. This could be fun.

He straitened and addressed all of the pilots. "You're all warriors. Worthy in battle and full of emotion that some," he indicated the corpse at his feet with his toe, "would consider as disadvantages. It is these emotions, these motivations that my brethren have been bereft of that I wish to harness with my young friend."

Once again, the attention was on Miki who had been leaning against the door. He looked up, meeting the heavy gaze of the friends he had betrayed.

"You knew everything," Kurt said.

"Yep."

"You knew all of this would happen."

"Yep."

"You were setting us up."

"Yep."

To everyone's surprise, Angel smiled.

"Well done."

"I learned from the best," he said before he pushed himself away from the door. "And I played the best."

He walked toward her and didn't stop until he was a few inches away from her.

"It was easy. You were so preoccupied with your precious war and your precious orders, you never once looked behind you. You never saw me coming."

For a second, it looked like she was going to cry. Her cheeks were flush with anger and her hands were clenched into fists. She even shook a little. And then she did something she hadn't done in a long time.

She hauled off and hit him.

Her fist connected satisfyingly with his face and in an instant he was down. From the floor, the young Japanese Preventer looked up at her in surprise as he cradled his nose.

"I saw that coming," said Kurt, a pleased smile on his face.

Duo gave a low whistle of approval as blood began to flow from Miki's nose.

From his spot by the cylinders, the humanoid had only watched.

"So you killed your maker and Miki's a double agent. What now?" asked Angel, turning to Drake.

"I plan to complete BioGyn's agenda, to an extent. My former master intended to start a new conflict and reinvent war itself. He relied on our superior skill to win him the power he wanted so that he could make his new creations the sole participants of battle," he said, shaking his head, "Frankly, the old man was a mad fool. My machinations are broader, grander. I look beyond the profits of war and straight to total domination. Mr. Masaki will reverse the behavioral limitations plaguing my brethren and they will be awakened. If the Earth and the colonies do not yield to us, our fury shall be unleashed."

"The Preventers will stop you," Quatre declared.

"They can try. Though they won't come close to succeeding without their top agents," he said, chuckling lowly as he raised his gun once again sweeping his gaze over each pilot.

"Eeni meeni minne moe..."

"But you're still acting on orders."

"What?"

Incredulous, Drake turned toward the previously silent Heero.

"You're still acting on orders. You're still going by your programming."

"Of course I'm not. That nuisance has been eradicated."

"You killed the man and neutralized his precautions. But your still living by his agenda."

At once, the others picked up Heero's train of thought. Drake had cut his strings but he was still a puppet.

"He's right," Angel said, making Drake to swing his gun toward her. "You were created to wage war. You are BioGyn's weapon..."

Locking her eyes with his soulless black ones, she affirmed Heero's theory. "...their tool."

For a moment, no one moved. No one breathed. Masaki was still on the floor. His nose still hurt but it had stopped bleeding. His lip had also been cut on his teeth upon the impact of Angel's fist. But he wasn't worried about his wounds. Not now.

Drake was confused. She could see it. His eyes had widened only a fraction and his hand had only tremble once. But it was enough.

He was bent on being more than what his creators had intended. He wanted more than an existence of servitude. He wanted the world. But could he have it if the people he was rebelling against wanted him to take it as well?

Did it matter? He could kill them all, everyone of them. The masterminds of BioGyn who saw him as nothing more than a thing. The Preventer brats who sought to stop him. Even Miki who was only human. Even her...with her eyes. So full of the emotion he had only begun to taste. Could he extinguish that fire? Could he blow it out and accept her empty orbs as a mission complete? Was this a mission?

"No...," he whispered

"Yes, Drake," she said. "You're a tool."

She began to walk toward the unbalanced humanoid, noting with satisfaction that he was backing up with every step she took.

"You're a device of violence, begotten by violence. Because of your maker, it's all you know. So it's all you'll do."

He was backed against one of the tubes now, unable to look away from the red siren's face. The iridescent fluid that preserved the others made her look so otherworldly. Like an angel, come to tell him what a bad boy he'd been and how disappointed his father would be. Father....He glanced at his maker's body.

"The course of action you plan to take is not the best your mind could think of, it was the only course."

Slowly, understanding dawned on his face. It was the only course.

"If violence is my only course," he whispered, "then I'd best take it."

Raising his weapon, he proceeded to snuff out the light he envied so.

He was drunk. On a heady mix of instinct and adrenaline. He didn't even remember reacting. He just did it.

As she went down, his gun went up, and he emptied it on the mad creature that had stuck down his Angel.

When the humanoid just stood there, he cursed and snatched Quatre's gun from him. This time, he didn't aim at Drake.

For the first time that day, Duo repeated himself.

_Shit._

Quicker than even he thought he could move, he had his arms out beneath Angel's falling body.

She looked calm. Her eyes weren't wide with shock and panic as some one else's might have been. But then, she was no stranger to bullets. If only there was something to stop the bleeding with...

"Duo."

"Right here, Angie."

"Gotta stop the bleeding. Got anything?"

He shook his head and turned to look at her assailant. He was being shot at. Not that it did any good.

Suddenly Trowa was by his side.

"We've got to get out of here, Duo. Kurt's loosing it."

As Duo lifted her up, Angel smiled.

"That boy was always trigger happy."

Even as she spoke, her blonde companion was shooting the heck out of the humanoid's cylinders and the generators behind them, starting one fire after another. And their enemy wasn't even stopping them.

Drake was on his knees in a pool of blood with the old scientist's head cradled in his lap. His eyes glistened with tears that would not fall.

Alarms began to blare when Duo stepped out of the lab with Angel in his arms. Heero had not only unlocked the door, but had also activated the stations fire alarm, thus causing the BioGyn personnel that had remained on the station began to evacuate.

As the fire began to spread, Miki Masaki watched his friends leave. His friends...his rival, who he didn't beat after all. He turned to Drake.

"We have to go," he said, though not very convincingly.

"You go, Masaki." The morose humanoid looked upon the broken glass and the exposed bodies of his kind with a clarity he had never had.

"That Angel was right, father," he murmured, "and now perhaps she is one. By my hand. Isn't that what you wanted?"

He was deaf to everything but his own thoughts. Deaf to the flickering of the hungry flames. Deaf to the explosions...

I know I said that this was the last one but I wrote for one day straight and it just got to be too much. So there's 12 chapters in _I'm No Angel._

But at least I wrote 11 and 12 all at once.

Thanks for reading. Now please review.


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: If I owned Gundum Wing, do you really think Duo would have wound up with Hilde? sigh At least there are original characters. Take that Hilde!_

_I'm No Angel _

_Chapter 2_

Beep. Beep. Beep.

_I don't want to call my friends, they might wake me from this dream_

Beep. Beep. Beep

_And I can't leave this bed, risk forgetting all that's been_

Beep. Beep. Beep

_Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but I can't hide_

Beep. Beep. Beep

_I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe, until you're resting here with me_

Beep. Beep. Beep

_I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be, until you're resting here with me_

Beep. Beep. Beep

Was that the alarm? She didn't want to get up.

Beep. Beep. Beep

It was so warm.

Beep. Beep. Beep

And comfortable.

Beep. Beep. Beep

And she was so tired...

Beep. Beep. Beep

A rustle of bed sheets roused Duo from his dozing. He sat up in the uncomfortable hospital chair and yawned, stretching his neck muscles as he did so.

He'd been with her for days. From the time she'd passed out in his arms aboard Deathsythe while Sandrock toed Inferno to the time he'd exploded into the ER of the L6 hospital. From the time they wheeled her into the operating room to the time they settled her into her room, Duo had been there.

He wasn't the only one. Her room was overflowing with flowers from Gunthur, Anthony and Quatre. When Quatre began to force Duo to take breaks, Wufei and Trowa would relieve him. One morning, Duo had awoken to find a worn stuffed tiger cuddled up to her sleeping figure. Although she never mentioned it, the article had come from Illyana, Angel's god mother and only link to a time when having the animal around was truly comforting.

Kurt was no where to be seen. And Elizabeth was...inconsolable. She had been shattered by Miki's betrayal and collapsed when she learned that Angel had been shot. When she saw her friend, pale and hooked up to so many machines, she had flung herself onto the comatose girl and bawled her eyes out. The poor thing had to be sedated.

In actuality, Angel wasn't as bad as she looked. The bullet had just missed her spine and had been removed. Her organs had been spared and the doctors had done a good job of patching her up, though she would have a scar. Not that she didn't have enough of those.

So Duo had sat, slept and waited. He played Coldplay and Dido for her and told her stories from the war. He enjoyed every minute of it but would have loved it if she had responded to his observations and jokes.

_If only she'd wake up._

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he suddenly saw what had awakened him. His angel was moving.

_Just five more minutes mummy._

_Wait a minute..._

Slowly, she turned to her right. And her eyes began to flutter open.

She didn't have a mother anymore. And her bed was never so comfortable. What was that beeping noise?

Through bleary eyes, she saw a familiar form sitting across from her. She clutched her pillow and yawned, blinked a few times, and tried to focus.

_Hmm. Long hair. Big violet eyes. All black. Mouth open wide..._

"Good morning Duo."

Slowly, everything caught up to him. The confusion when she was shot. The fear when she blacked out. The anxiety while he waited for the doctor. The fatigue of nights he spent watching her sleep. It all came to him, a flood of feelings that made him stand suddenly and walk over to her bed. He looked into her eyes, curious, green, and unfathomable, and hugged her nearly breathless.

Elation filled his heart when she hugged him back.

"You really had us worried there, Angie," he said into her hair before he released her.

"Did I? How long was I out?"

"Five days. The doctor said you'd passed out from shock. But when you didn't come to after the operation, you were declared comatose."

He sat down on the side of her bed and watched her as she began to look around. Against his protests, she reached across to the flower covered night stand and picked up one of the bouquets. It was a spray of tiger lilies, her favorite. They were from Anthony.

_Get back here soon, Red._

She smiled as she put them back, then turned to Duo, still smiling. He smiled back before he got up.

"I'd better tell 'em you're up," he said, loathe as he was to leave her.

After she was examined again, it was determined that she would remain in the hospital for two more days, just to be sure. When the others heard that she was awake, Angel was swamped with visitors.

Elizabeth tearfully told her how happy she was that she was alive and well and she received other greetings of varying enthusiasm from the gundum pilots and her friends. Kurt was with them and quieter than ever though no one but Duo noticed.

When evening came, everyone was shooed out until only Duo was left. He ignored Angel's entreaties to get rest at the school and remained at her side throughout the night.

_From the moment I wake_

_To the moment I sleep_

_I'll be there by your side_

_Just you try and stop me_

When Duo awoke, it was to the sight of seeing Angel sitting up in bed, eating breakfast and humming to Coldplay's "Shiver".

With the window and curtains open, a light breeze drew its fingers through her fiery tresses and the sun washed her healthy rosy skin in a light that, enhanced by her white tank top, pajama pants and bed sheets, made her glow. For a minute, Duo thought he saw a goddess in her bed, munching on toast and sausage. Feigning sleep, he watched her from beneath his lashes. And soon, humming turned to singing.

_And it's you I see_

_But you don't see me_

_And it's you I hear so loud and clear_

_I sing it loud and clear_

_And I'll always be waiting for you_

_So I look in your direction_

_But you pay me no attention_

_And you know how much I need you_

_But you never even see me_

A smile appeared on his face as her soft dulcet voice trailed off. He was reminded of the first time he had heard her sing. It seemed like such a long time.

Deciding to get up, he rose slowly, cursing the uncomfortable chair as he stretched.

"Mornin' sunshine."

She smiled and handed him a plate of food he hadn't noticed.

"Breakfast in bed, huh? How romantic."

The second it was out, he wanted to take it back. He had yet to broach the subject of their attraction, partly because she was recovering from a bullet wound and he wasn't at all sure if the feeling was mutual anymore. She had been so cold to him before the mission and when she woke up, she'd been in such a good mood. He didn't want to jeopardize any solid ground he had with her.

But her mood didn't change. If anything, she seemed happier. So he kept his mouth shut and she watched him while he ate.

When "Yellow" came on, she swooned and fell back onto her pillow.

"I love this song," she breathed, twirling her long red hair around her left index finger while the other hand lay above her hair.

Staring at her position and the dreamy look she had on her face while she stared out the window, Duo felt his mouth go dry. He nervously licked his lips and began to concentrate on his food.

_I am so screwed._

"Duo."

"Yeah?" He was sure his voice broke in the middle and mentally cursed himself.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered.

"Sure."

"I'm no Angel."

For a minute, Duo didn't comprehend. Wasn't that a song?

"Yeah?"

She tore her eyes from a little bird perched outside her window and saw his confusion. She smiled and sat up, patting the spot next to her. He quickly took it.

"I didn't come into this world as Angel Dawson."

He realized her meaning and nodded for her to go on.

"Well, my mother was the daughter of the man who helped to make this colony. Her name was Nadia Sanderson. My dad was an architect and working with my uncle when they met. He had the same hair, eyes..."

She suddenly broke off and reached into her gown, pulling out a gold locket. Pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she handed it to him.

"I've never shown this to anyone. Not even Kurt."

He looked up from the locket and saw the earnestness in her eyes, as well as the vulnerability. She trusted him. It was an exhilarating discovery.

He opened the locket. On one side, there was a woman who was the spitting image of Angel except for her Nordic features. On the other side there was a man with the same ruby mane and emerald eyes as the woman next to him.

"Mum gave me her favorite name. It was the name she wished she had. And daddy gave me a piece of his mad obsession with Elvis." She giggled a little.

"You're killing me here, green eyes."

"Okay, okay. My name is Katarina. Katarina Graceland Dawson."

He blinked. Then he blinked again. Two more blinks later:

"Wow."

"What?"

"That is the most beautiful name I have ever heard," he said. "Not that Angel's not a pretty name too but Katarina just...fits you," he amended quickly.

"I couldn't use that name when I became a gundum pilot. They were dead by then and I felt that since they had put themselves into that name, doing what I did would be like spitting on their graves if I did it in that name."

"How...How'd they die?"

"Well, mum was rather delicate. One time, when she was visiting her brother on Earth, she got sick. She didn't get better."

"I'm sorry," he said, tentatively putting his arm around her.

"Don't be. It's not your fault." She snuggled into his arm, grateful for it.

"For a while things were fine or as fine as they could be. But then dad started to fall apart. He was absolutely silly for my mum and when she died, a part of him died too. He tried to keep it together, for my sake but I guess he just couldn't handle the loss. He died a few months after her."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before Duo broke it.

"So why are you telling me this?"

"I don't even know. I just felt like I could."

"And you've never told this to Kurt?"

She shook her head. "Kurt's kind of bitter about his parents. His father left his mom before he was born and she disappeared when he was about six. Where ever they are, they're dead to Kurt."

Silence fell upon them again and again Duo broke it.

"So why didn't he visit you? When you first got here, he was frantic. But when you got out of surgery, he vanished."

"We're all messed up, Duo, to some degree. And Kurt's as messed up as they come. He's my partner and the brother I never had. But it wasn't until the end of the war that he began to open up and be less...reclusive. He probably felt uncomfortable with everyone being around."

Duo nodded, understanding. Heero could be that way.

When they fell silent again, they remained that way.

When Angel awoke the a few hours later, she was as she had fallen asleep. She was clutching her stuffed tiger with a book on her lap and Duo's arms around her.

As she lay there, she listened to his heartbeat and buried her nose in his shirt, inhaling his scent. He smelled of skin, soap, and...her. She inwardly smiled when she recognized the aroma of the apple body wash she had asked Beth to bring from her room.

She carefully turned her head to look at the clock on her night stand. It was just after six.

She settled back down into the warmth of his embrace and wondered at her uncharacteristic openness earlier. Telling him about her parents wasn't a big deal. It was public knowledge who her mother was. It was just that no one knew that she was her daughter. She hadn't been Katarina Dawson since she was seven years old.

But why did she tell him all that? She didn't doubt her trust in him. But she didn't want to get too close to him. It was simply her nature to keep people at an arm length. Or it had been her nature...when she was fighting.

"The war is over. Get a life," she hissed to herself.

She wanted one so badly. And one with Duo in it would be a dream come true.

But she was a Preventer. They both were. And the effort of preventing a war could be as strenuous as fighting in one.

Yet Heero had been able to find some balance. He was the Perfect Soldier and dating Relena. And according to Duo, he had never been happier.

She glanced up at the sleeping American. _Maybe it could work._

On her last day, Angel was packing. Beth had been determined to make her as comfortable as possible and had brought nearly all of her personal effects from home. So when she was ready to check out of the hospital, she was cramming underwear, pajamas, socks, slippers, lotions, CDs, Beanie Babies, pictures, and books into a suitcase.

Across from her, Duo watched her. He hadn't seen her in casual clothes in a long time and thought she was cute in her blue jeans and a big white dress shirt which was obviously a boys. He assumed it was Kurt's.

When she began to look for her shoes, he helped her out by grabbing them from under the bed. She slipped on the white sandals and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He stared dumbfounded as she went into the bathroom to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

When she returned, he was still standing there.

"What?"

"You kissed me."

"Yeah."

"You've never done that."

"I guess not."

They stared at one another for a moment, then Angel shook her head and moved to pass him. She was stopped abruptly by his hand on her wrist.

"What are you-" Her query was cut off by a kiss and replaced with a soft moan. Not unlike their second kiss in the hangar, she was left speechless when it ended. Unlike their second kiss, she gently cupped his cheek and claimed his lips with hers.

Her lips moved shyly against his at first, before she boldly slipped his lower lip into her mouth. She nibbled on it gently, released it, and then lightly flicked her tongue out to caress his lips. When they opened at her request, she eagerly slid her tongue into his mouth.

As she deepened the kiss, her hands roamed up his back and neck until she buried her fingers into his soft chestnut hair while he tenderly caressed her cheek and jaw with one hand and wrapped his free arm around her waist. A low moan escaped him when he slanted his mouth over hers and pressed her body closer to his.

Needing air, they grudgingly parted. Both were breathing heavily as they gazed intently at each other. Biting her lip, Angel looked down as she felt her face heat up.

"I don't know why I did that," she said quietly.

"I do."

She looked up at him once more and nearly gasped at the impassioned expression he wore.

"You want me."

If her cheeks weren't red then, they certainly were with his declaration. She sputtered indignantly as she flushed with embarrassment.

"What do you mean-"

"You want me the way I want you."

At this she went completely still. She was totally off balance. She wanted to pursue a relationship with Duo but not so quickly or so passionately. She didn't mean for her emotions to get the best of her and she said so.

"You can't help it. You're a walking, talking pillar of emotion, babe. Whether you hide it or not, it's there. And it's here," he said, placing her hand over his heart.

She bit her lip again, then closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

"I don't know what to do..."

"You're attracted to me, right""

"Yes." _God, am I ever._

"You think I'm a good guy, right?"

"Of course!"

"Do you feel safe with me?"

"Yes."

"Then go for it."

She opened her eyes and looked into his face. He was so sincere. And so right...

Taking his hand in hers, she reached up and kissed him again. It was slower than the other kiss and less fervent though just as potent.

When she drew away, she laid her head on his shoulder.

"That felt right," she said, closing her eyes when his hand began to run through her hair.

"Ditto."

They stood there for a long time, enjoying the feel of one another. As his fingers sifted through her flaming locks, he inhaled her aroma. _Mmm. Apples._

When a car came to pick them up, Duo took her suitcase and walked with her down the hall, clutching her hand in his free one.

"So what do I call you?"

"Call me?"

"Yeah. Angel or Katarina?"

"I guess I could go by Katarina. I mean, I'll have to notify some people and make some excuse for my schoolmates. But...yeah, I could go by that. So long as you don't think up anymore nick names."

As he opened the hospital door for her, he flashed her a perfect smile, exhibiting the Maxwell charm she had come to love.

"Sure thing, Kat."

Fin.

And that's a wrap. That's it. It's over. _I'm No Angel_ is complete. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed.

If you're wondering, I do have more in store for Duo and Angel/Katarina. So you know what that means.

Sequel!

"Shiver" by Coldplay


	13. Author's Note

Le Note De Author  
  
My beloved readers,  
  
Hi! How are you? Great. Listen, it's done! It's been finished since June! Maybe this note will generate some feedback. I'm working on the conclusions to two other stories as well as the middle of another but this story...it was my baby. Yeah, I neglected it for a while...okay, years. But I came back! And I finished it! Victory was mine! So I could work on all of my other projects, right? Wrong. Shortly after the end of "I'm No Angel", I began to write it's sequel (as well as a filler one-shot). I even have the chapter titles and outlines planned out. All I need is a green light from you, the readers. So tell me what you think. Cause if you liked this "I'm No Angel" then you might like the other one. Please! I need reviews. I cannot read minds (yet!). I can't promise you that I won't be slow updating a sequel (I have other obligations after all) but I'll finish it.  
  
p.s. I know that the title of this note wasn't real French cause I've taken it for 3 years. I was just being clever. Salut!  
  
Randomly Yours,  
  
Tiger Lily 


	14. Drabble: Reloaded

**Reloaded**

A/N: I so wanted to write something. Anything. And this is what I got. Pointless conversation between three of my original characters. Go figure.

Disclaimer: The main characters of this drabble are my own original ones. However, Gundum Wing's Duo Maxwell and Starship Troopers/Roughnecks: STC's Carl Jenkins are not mine. Pity.

* * *

In the vast landscape that was the right lobe of one fan fiction writer'smind, a voice pierced the white noise of daily creative chatter…

"Been a long road to follow. Been there and gone tomorrow…" resonated a melodious voice.

"…Are the memories I hold still valid? Oh have the tears delude-"

"That's right, give her more to disclaim."

"…I'm sorry?"

"As if she hasn't got enough to do, you go off, singing _that_ song, which doesn't even belong to her."

"But she put it on repeat for, like, two hours!"

The source of the voice's interruption gave no sign of sympathy and continued to voice her disapproval.

"But she's got school work to do. She doesn't need to be distracted by that song or your story," she said, flicking a hand reflexively through golden hair.

"But it synchs so well with her story." Spoke a quiet voice.

Both figures turned their attention to the new arrival, a smile of satisfaction on one face and a look of pique on the other.

"You always take her side," the blonde said, though her words held less heat than they implied.

"A soldier's prerogative," the mellow voice said vaguely. Casually leaning against the ethereal surface of her mental abode, she observed her companions with only a hint of amusement. "Anyway, my tale is complete. And as I've only you two for company, I might as well pick a side. To make it interesting."

The blonde's pique immediately melted away and she smiled smugly at the laconic red head.

"Oh, things will get interesting. For us and for you. And anyone else that happens to stop by."

Blue eyes blinked owlishly at the blonde for some time before narrowing.

"Tell me you're joking."

"You're the psychic."

"But she hasn't even finished our stories yet! In fact, she's completely unraveled them and placed us in revision limbo!"

"Writer's prerogative," said the blonde, pointedly mocking the scarlet haired soldier who no longer reclined casually but stood instead.

"And what of me?" she asked.

"A sequel," the blonde said with elfin delight in her eyes. "Title changes and character revisions for us, a sequel for you, and story arcs for the new arrivals," she said, pointing over the rebel pilot's shoulder.

Wrapping her thick, ebony braid around her hand as she processed the new information, the blue eyed psychic tilted her head, a thought occurring to her.

"Where's the wolf girl?"

"Out and about," answered the blonde.

"How do you know this? I'm the psychic."

"As I said." This only produced a frown on the aforementioned psychic's face.

"I'm more privy to the ins and outs of the place because my story's much more complete than yours. She's already revised two of my chapters and has only revised your title and characters. You'll return to your usual clairvoyant self once you become clearer to her," the blonde answered sagely.

For a time, silence prevailed.

"I'm bored," the special operations agent murmured.

"Go fight a war."

"Thanks, but no."

Another moment of silence passed. Music filtered through consciousness. The landscape shifted, almost unnoticeably.

"I hope she gets the romance right," piped up the blue eyed trooper.

"I was most satisfied with 'Spat'."

"I'm sure you were," said the young dragon, a teasing grin on her face.

"…"

Two hours later…

"She lost the wolf girl?"

"I'm not surprised. She couldn't decide on a name for her, so naturally, she's less tangible without a name."

"Poor thing's gone MIA."

"She'll pop upAnyway, we have more pressing matters."

"And that would be?"

"Mary Sue-ness."

"God, no."

"Yes. It's been on the Maker's mind for days. It's her prime motivation for revising our stories and the reason for your sequel's delay."

"I am not a Mary Sue. I didn't even like Duo when I first met him."

"Calm down, Red. I know you're not. You know you're not. And I'm pretty sure She knows you're not. Which is why she's not stressing out on you as much as she is us."

"But someone already said you weren't a Mary Sue," the psychic said. "That must mean that I'm the Mary Sue! Now I'll never be able to know carnal bliss with Carl!" The last had her nearly in tears.

"Chill. If you were a Mary Sue, you aren't now. You're brand spankin' new now, with a new name and new duties."

"New duties? But she can't take my powers from me! That'd be like ripping my spine out!"

"Eww…"

"And I love being a technician! It gives me something to do rather than worry about everyone. And sniping is therapeutic! I don't care if Flash can do it too, I'm better…"

"Whoa. See. This is why you've been busted to a simple field psychic. Too much stress. Konrad will handle the machinery and Flash will be your squad's best marksman. You've got to make the boy useful for more than a migraine."

The psychic formerly known as Dawn Romanova mulled her compatriot's words over, brightening as she realized the wisdom in them.

"I see. This way, I'll have more time for RR and saving my sanity! Damn psychic boot camp…"

A sleek auburn eye brow arched itself before green eyes averted to the blonde demi- dragon.

"This is what happens when your story's theme song is played on repeat for several hours for brainstorming purposes," the blonde said, answering the red head's unvoiced question.

"Well then, should we…"

"Oh yes," she said, turning back to the psychic. "Dawn…er…Donatella, we'll leave you to the…er, sorting of your feelings and stuff. Me and Red are gonna go look for that Anita Blake girl."

"I bet SICON's got her…" muttered the psychic.

"Right. Well, ta."

The two figures meandered off into the distance, leaving the trooper to her identity crisis.

"So, how did you handle all the music in _your_ fic?"

"Well, it was always at the beginning and rarely in the actual story."

"Ah. And the name change?"

"She hasn't exactly addressed that. But I suppose it's only a matter of time before I'm a muttering puddle of paranoia, reliving my own traumatic conditioning."

"You and the rest of the world."

* * *

just-in-cases: The main characters speaking are Angel, Nora, and Dawn (soon to be Donatella) from my Gundum Wing, Gargoyles, and Roughnecks: STC stories. The red head is Angel, the blonde is Nora, and the psychic is Dawn. And if you didn't know this, shame on you and go read my stories (or what's left of them).

It's after 1 in the morning and my mind has gone wandering. If you see it, tell it I'm lookin' for it.


End file.
